Shelley Hayes, MBA, MMGT, CPC

Chief Empowerment Officer

Hi! I’m Shelley Hayes, Chief Empowerment Officer.

I reconnect women with their natural instincts and intuition in order to keep themselves safe and empowered in the world. I learned, from some difficult times, how to be very strong, resilient, and PASSIONATE about helping women step into their own empowerment – body, mind and spirit.

I’ve had many successful years in the not-for-profit industry and then transitioned into the for-profit and healthcare realms where my MBA, MMGT, and Certified Coaching Certificate allowed me to lead corporate university efforts and improve employee culture and engagement at many levels. I’ve specialized in teaching leaders and individuals of all levels and backgrounds about assertive communication, bullying prevention, how to have difficult conversations, holding healthy boundaries, conflict resolution & de-escalation, and personal accountability.

Cheers to all of us and our Empowerment!

Lynn MacDonald

Head Empowerment Warrior

Hi! I am Lynn MacDonald, Head Empowerment Warrior.

From a very young age, I knew I wanted to try three careers. I wanted to join the military; become an Emergency Medical Technician and become a Police Officer. I wanted to do these careers because I thought they were cool…I was right, they were and are cool!

Now, after 20+ years as a Police Officer, and 10 years of teaching personal safety, what I really find cool is teaching people how to be safer and more confident. The world can be a big, scary place. At Empowerment Inc. we have created a safe, patient and fun environment for you to learn. Doing this work has become a powerful reminder that I must continue to gently remind people, including women, of the struggles and successes of women and to continue to lift women up and help them find their space in the world.

I hope to see your brave, warrior self in one of our upcoming courses!

Bravery. Authenticity. Empowerment. Side by side, it’s easy to see the correlation. Even now, both Lynn and I are hit with a proverbial “DUH” when we think about all the ways our values and our work collide.

At first blush, though, it’s not so obvious. Having spent the better part of my career fostering professional growth, it wasn’t clear to me how my work might be directly tied to the work of, well…a cop.

Then in one night – one moment, really – that all changed.

I’ve always had huge respect for law enforcement officers, and had long admired the incredible work Lynn does in leading women, specifically, through personal safety courses. On a whim, I asked her if I could watch her work.

Almost immediately, goosebumps ensued and tears welled. As a professional development coach, I’ve dedicated my life’s work to fostering authentic, courageous growth in my clients, but more often than not, that change happens in small, incremental ways over a period of time. In a few hours, I saw women begin to transform from unsure, nervous and closed off participants to strong, empowered, and quite frankly, blossoming versions of themselves.

In an instant, I realized that our work was and is completely aligned. Same goal. Same outcome. Different process.

But what if we could combine our gifts to foster an even greater impact by combining the physical with the emotional? By marrying spatial strength with emotional strength? Our answer? More holistically empowered women. Everywhere.

Empowerment Inc., was born in this moment; in witnessing this blossoming, I knew there was a tremendous opportunity for both of us to use our gifts to nourish hearts, minds and bodies with empowering beliefs, thoughts and skills to build life-long resiliency. Because resiliency builds empowerment.

This is more than a self-defense company. This is more than a self-help company. This is a journey in Empowerment. Won’t you join us?

Tamsin MacDonald

Empowerment Warrior

“I am very excited and honored to be a part of the Empowerment Inc. team! I believe that people, particularly women, are incredibly strong, resilient and powerful. For this reason, I look forward to working together to encourage that development as confident and capable individuals.

It is truly gratifying to watch someone on their journey and to help them along the way, while championing their successes. I feel very fortunate to be a part of a movement like this as it is both rewarding and humbling.”

Gerald Bouchard

Empowerment Warrior

My daughter is growing up quickly and I want to her to be physically and mentally strong. It is important that she knows and understands that she is in control of her life. Unfortunately, through these changing times, there is a chance she will face a situation in her future where she will need to be brave and strong. I want her to be the smartest and strongest young lady she can be. Empowerment Inc is a step in the right direction for that. The more women and girls are aware of how strong they are, the safer they will be. I have seen many situations in my line of work (The Calgary Police Service) where through better understanding and awareness; situations could have turned out differently. Together we need to make safety a priority.

Maja Vidak

Empowerment Warrior

“So what exactly is empowerment?
Empower – to make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights. I see empowerment as building confidence and developing essential life skills that we can use every day, but more importantly, I hope to inspire you.

Looking forward to seeing you in one of our upcoming courses!”

We are passionate about the community we live in as well as our global community. We love connecting with organizations who align with our values and the causes that are dear to our hearts. Currently, these are the organizations we support through donations, volunteering our time, and partnering on projects, who also believe in empowering others:

If you are interested in talking about how we can collaborate or support your organization, please send us an email or give us a call!

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Our Mission:

We believe in empowering people body, mind, and spirit. We achieve this through educating, training and coaching people based on integrating the most effective aspects of self-defense, assertiveness and professional development.